What to Buy in July Celebrate the best of summer, right in your own backyard

July is the best of all months: Tomatoes are ripening, the dog days of summer haven’t wilted (most of) us yet, and we get to watch fireworks. Boom!

Plenty of us don’t have the funds for a separate summer place or even a summer vacation. But two of the best things to buy this month—outdoor furniture and grilling supplies—make staycations a lot more fun. After all, what good is having an outdoor area if you don’t use it?

“People want to make the most of every inch of living space in and around their homes,” notes Jackie Hirschhaut of the American Home Furnishings Alliance. And they are doing so by purchasing chairs, fire pits, umbrellas, benches and even special lighting.

In fact, more than 60 percent of those surveyed by the AHFA said they plan to add new furniture or accessories to their outdoor living spaces this year. A big trend lately is upholstered furniture that furthers the illusion of an outdoor “living room.”

So go ahead, make that backyard deck or condo balcony a lot more comfortable—and affordable—with codes from these merchants:

Adirondack Chair

Rustic Furniture in a Nutshell: If rustic is your thing, consider the Adirondack Chairs ($369.99 on sale for $329.99) or Bent Willow Twig Rocker ($899.99 on sale for $749.99) from Rustic Furniture in a Nutshell. Through the end of July (and possibly even August!), get $40 off $389 or more with code SUM40; $25 off $279 or more with code SUM25 or $15 off $199 with code SUM15. Plus get free shipping every day!

If your guests ask what they should bring, suggest the one side dish that you love to eat but hate to prepare—or, better yet, a six-pack of your favorite craft beer. Heck, even the lowly hot dog is enjoyable when eaten out-of-doors!

Conveniently, those hot dogs are on sale this month, too, along with ground beef (and the rolls on which to eat them), chips, salad dressing, ice cream, soda, bottled water, teabags and iced-tea mix, and condiments like barbecue sauce and relish.

If grilling outdoors isn’t your thing, take advantage of the appliances sales!

If the prices on hamburgs and Coneys really are that good, get yourself a freezer and stock up!

SWIMWEAR SALES

Backyard parties sound even better if there’s a swimming pool involved. Which leads us to yet another July deal: swimwear.

For women, two kinds of bathing suits exist: The kind to sunbathe in and the kind that won’t fall off when you dive in. It can be hard finding the right suit for your body type, so take some tips from SwimOutlet.com.

Short torso: Add the illusion of length with one-piece suits with asymmetrical designs, like this Kenneth Cole One-Shoulder ($80.25 at Macy’s).

Long torso: If you’d like to de-emphasize a longer torso, consider a two-piece in bright colors or designs like V-necks, bandeaukinis or tankinis, like this Venus Tiered Ruffle Tankini (top, $42; bottom, $49).

Well-endowed: Look for a halter-style or underwire top with thick straps or V-shaped necklines. Try this Miraclesuit Underwire One-Piece ($150 at Nordstrom).

Small-breasted: Choose from padded or push-up suit tops. Ones with ruffles or horizontal lines will fool the eye even further, so skip solid colors.

Pear-shaped: A brightly colored top draws attention away from your bottom. One-piece suits, tankinis or skirtinis are your best bet.

No curves: Ruffles, designs and horizontal lines create the illusion of a bust, as will a padded or push-up top. Ruffles, belts and skirts make your backside look rounder.

Plus-size: One-piece suits with ruching minimize the tummy. Avoid solids altogether. In fact, create a slim illusion by wearing suits that are darker in areas you want to play down and bright in the places you wish to emphasize.

If you’re a svelte young person or one of those annoying men or women whose bodies don’t change much with age, just order your regular swimsuit size with confidence—and coupons!—from places like:

Also on the topic of apparel: Some stores will deliver deep discounts on summer styles this month. Expect up to 50% off, according to RetailMeNot’s Eliza Bellock.

“July is usually the heaviest discounting month for summer clothing,” Bellock says.

Merchants like Lands End, Gap, Old Navy and American Eagle add “a pretty good stream of new styles [to] sale sections year-round,” she notes, and summer is no exception.Lucky Brand Crochet Tribal Maxi Dress

She also expects retailers like J. Crew, PacSun and Tilly’s to offer an extra 40% to 50% off sale racks in early July. Here are sales happening now:

ASOS: Through July 31, take up to 70% off sale items and look for some special back-to-school offers. Use this exclusive RMN coupon for 10% off purchases of $75 or more.

Lucky Brand: Through July 31, take 15% off $75 or more, plus get free shipping.

Obviously this is a good time to refresh your summer wardrobe at a discount. But it’s also a chance for savvy parents to stock up on stuff their kids can wear when school starts.

And speaking of school: Sitewide and storewide discounts of up to 30% can be expected on new back-to-school clothing, including uniforms. That makes July a good time to start shopping, Bellock says.

BIG DEPARTMENT STORE SALES

July also brings the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, the store’s biggest nationwide event of the year. And it’s not a clearance sale, but rather a discount on new styles from brands like The Honest Company, Diane von Furstenberg, Rag & Bone, J Brand, Michael Kors, Hugo Boss, Frye, Alexis Bittar and many others.

The sale runs through August 3.

HOME GOODS

You may not think of summer as a good time to buy home furnishings, but alas, two department stores are having big sales in July and August.

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